At first she found it unnerving.
Eventually she understood that Wyatt watched everything.
It was his job.
One night, after closing, Samantha counted the drawer twice because the total was nine dollars short.
Wyatt stood nearby.
“You stole it?”
Samantha looked up.
“If I stole from here, I’d take more than nine dollars.”
“Good answer.”
She counted again.
Still short.
Then Wyatt reached beneath an empty glass and found a ten-dollar bill Meat had apparently used as a coaster.
He placed it on the bar.
“Now you’re a dollar over.”
Samantha looked at him.
“You knew that was there.”
“Yes.”
“You watched me count twice.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“To see what you did.”
She stared.
“And?”
“You didn’t move money from tips.”
“No.”
“You didn’t pretend.”
“No.”
“You got irritated with the drawer instead of scared of me.”
Samantha almost smiled.
“That’s progress.”
Wyatt nodded.
“It is.”
That was the closest thing to approval he had given her.